* Introducing the ICLEI World Congress 2015

- The ICLEI World Congress was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK), 8-12 April 2015. Today, I will be sharing some of the new technologies & products that I became aware of while participating in the event. Upcycling brands and eco-companies supported by the government took part in the ICLEI, in the heart of Seoul, a modernized city where eager citizens were free to look around. People from all around the world participated in the forum, each of them playing an important role in green globalization.

- The ICLEI World Congress 2015 was the biggest forum that discussed the development of urban sustainability worldwide. The congress welcomed over 2,500 participants from over 75 countries. I noted that there were over 37 booths in the Congress.

The forum provided ICLEI delegates the chance to present what they achieved, communicate with partners, and socialize with other members of the green society. In Seoul, my home city, the congress has already become a landmark. Local sustainability efforts have continued to rise, and has raised the ambitions of the world?s development agenda on green city planning.

- Thanks to the ICLEI World Congress, Seoul was able to go through a globalization, thanks to actions of local sustainability. Now I will be introducing several of the sessions and eco-booths that I found interesting in this global forum.

* Visiting the ICLEI World Congress 2015

- [Look at picture 3 and picture 4 below] The pictures display a green park full of grass – a piece of the nature in the heart of the city. Perhaps that is why the congress decided to hold the event here. The vast openness of the area assures us that some green can still exist – even among the grayness of the buildings surrounding the clearing. There are a number of eco-tents, or session booths dotted across the area. Each of these tents are run by a different company / NGO striving to stop climate change, deforestation, poverty, and preserve the natural resources of our planet.

- [Look at picture 1 and picture 2] This is a sculpture of the globe among the session booths. The words -Saving 1 ton of GHG per person- are written in both Korean and in English on the globe. This highlights the importance of reducing (or saving) GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions by conserving the environment. It does not take much time and energy to help save greenhouse gases. In fact, it takes no energy at all. The whole point is to spend less energy.

-Together Reducing one tone of greenhouse gas per person- is not a difficult project. This exhibited sculpture depicts a life-size space that 100kg of CO2 would take up. I calculated that 10 of these sculptures would make up one ton of greenhouse gas. According to the creators, greenhouse gas can be reduced through our daily practices.

After finding out more about the sculpture, I came to know that the Ministry of Environment and Koreas Climate & Environment Network are developing a national movement on -Reducing 1 ton of greenhouse gas per person-. Climate change caused by our activities can be checked by daily eco-friendly practices in our lives. The Republic of Korea established an objective to reduce greenhouse gas be 30% (233 million tons) compared to forecasted CO2 emissions by 2020.

In order to achieve this, the government and environment ministry concluded that it was crucial to promote green-living among citizens. In terms of transportation, citizens can personally participate in the /car-free-day/ project. In the electricity section, installing power-saving computer programs like -Greentouch- help a lot. For the air-conditioning and heating sector, citizens are encouraged to wear clothing suitable for the season. In terms of resources, people should reduce 20% of the food they used to waste. If only we practice these four acts of these four sectors, 0.55 tons of greenhouse gas can be reduced per person.

- Other parts of the World Congress will be introduced in succeeding articles.